Rising Star
Local actor hits her stride in L.A.
At 27, one North Fort Myers High School graduate, is no longer an aspiring actor, but a working actor with movie credits and starring roles highlighting her accomplishments.
Meghan Carrasquillo moved to Los Angeles in 2018 to transition from theater to film and television. With Los Angeles being similar to Florida in terms of weather, beaches and palm trees, it was a no-brainer to relocate to California, especially with opportunities waiting.
“It was easy for me to fall into some great opportunities out here. The right time, right place,” she said.
Indeed it was.
She auditioned for her first feature film and booked one of the leads.
“I remember being so scared and not knowing anything, truly, about the industry, but it was such an amazing first learning experience for me for being on a set, a new actor in the industry,” Carrasquillo said. “I felt like I truly killed my audition for it, so I was really happy that I booked it. I have grown so much since that first movie.”
From there, a second feature film was booked, more auditions, and things took off until the pandemic happened, which put a halt on things for most everyone.
Fortunately, when February 2021 rolled around, things again started taking off. Her next film, “iPossessed,” which is slated to come out sometime in 2023, was filmed in Lake Placid here in Florida.
“Ever since I booked that movie in February 2021 I have been working consistently,” she said. “Every single movie I have done so far I have played a completely different character. Every single movie I have done so far I have been blessed to book the lead for. People are finally going to start noticing my work and seeing what I can do.”
Carrasquillo has the lead role in her first Lifetime movie, “Hider in My House,” which was released in July. It was filmed in the St. Petersburg-Tampa, area.
She plays Molly Bachman.
“I loved her. She was a best-selling author, an older loving sister and a woman that went through a horrific experience when she was younger,” she said. “It was such an honor to play a role like that.”
Carrasquillo said although acting is a lot of work, she thoroughly enjoys it, especially when she knows what it brings to other people.
“Especially after ‘Hider in the House’ came out. I heard such a huge positive response from it. So many people didn’t recognize me as me. It’s so crazy. It’s a pinch-me moment,” she said. “If I can take two hours away from someone’s crazy day and bring them into a completely different world and just give them something to enjoy and sink their teeth into, then I have done my job. Everything I have poured my heart into is worth it as long as someone is enjoying it as well.”
Robin Dawn, owner of Robin Dawn Academy of Performing Arts, who worked with Carrasquillo during her high school years, said Carrasquillo was a very talented — — very driven — young woman.
“Ever since I started teaching at my school 48 years ago, my goal is to help them achieve their dreams. I want to help them realize it and achieve it. Every time I see them on stage it makes me cry. I know how hard it is. A lot of dedication and sacrifices,” she said.
When Carrasquillo’s “Hider in the House” hit Lifetime, Dawn said she rushed to watch it and was just amazed to see Carrasquillo on the screen; she is so talented.
Although it is tough to choose a favorite character, Carrasquillo said two come to mind — one from “iPossessed,” and the other, “The Squad,” both movies slated to come out in 2023.
In “iPossessed,” Carrasquillo plays a girl who ultimately becomes possessed. She said it was a challenging character.
“Her character is so beautiful. She starts off as this sweet, kind-hearted girl who has dealt with a lot of trauma and wears it as baggage on her shoulder. You follow her journey and fall in love with her and then something terrible happens to her,” she said.
“The Squad” is an action thriller movie where her character is an undercover drug runner who travels to different cities during spring break with two other drug-runner friends to set up operations and sell drugs.
“It was such a fun juicy role. My character was such a badass. She was a character that knew the business. She was tough and she knew how to walk into a room and command a room, handle guns, conversations, money and packaging drugs. It’s a character that I know I would never be in real life. It was such a thrilling character to play, so many layers to it,” Carrasquillo said.
With many roles under her belt, she is now at the point in her career where she only accepts a project, script and writing that she truly believes in, saying she knows within seconds if she wants to be a part of the production.
“I am really lucky to audition for some great roles. The majority of the roles that I have wanted, I have gotten. I think that is because I truly embodied myself in those characters. I want to be able to tell their stories the best that I can. I want to be able to make the director, producers all really proud of their decision for picking me,” Carrasquillo said. “They trusted me to play a part for all of them that they have been envisioning for a long time. I want to make sure I do it justice.”
Although she now resides in L.A., there have been quite a few films that have taken her outside of California, back home Florida, as well as Atlanta and, at the end of October, Oklahoma.
“When I start a new project I really throw myself, mind and body, and everything into the project. Almost going away from home makes it easier for me to disconnect from regular life and go into this other person. When I am done filming, coming back home is a huge relief. I can be myself now and let my hair down and relax, a staycation.”
Her longest project was “iPossessed.” She spent a month on location. This film had quite a few overnight shoots where she was in hair and makeup by 5 p.m. and they filmed all night until the sun came up.
“After I wrapped, I slept for two days,” Carrasquillo said laughing.
While she’s embracing the opportunities of her new home state, her roots are here.
Carrasquillo was born in Miami and grew up in Cape Coral, where she resided before relocating west after two years at Florida Southwestern College.
It was there she made her decision to reach for the stars.
“It was during my sophomore year of college that I realized I wanted to really pursue a career in TV and film in acting,” Carrasquillo said. “It was an evolving thing for me. I started to find my way and figure out that there is an entire world strictly just for acting and I just dove into that.”
Her chops, though, were earned early.
From 9 to 17, she did seven or eight shows at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, which included roles in “The Sound of Music,” “Rodgers & Hammerstein Cinderella,” Jack and the Beanstalk,” along with numerous Christmas Shows. She also performed in “Catch Me if You Can” at Naples Players Theatre and “Sister Act the Musical.” In addition, she did a few recitals at Cultural Park Theatre.
Although acting began before attending North Fort Myers High School, she said Michele Whitener, her high school drama teacher, was a huge part of her growing up stages of wanting to be an actor.
“She was a huge supporter. Always in my corner while in high school. A huge advocate for me. She was a woman that really believed in me and pushed me,” Carrasquillo said.
While in high school she was not quite sure if she was passionate about singing, dancing and acting. She knew singing and dancing were strong hobbies, but grew to learn that acting was her real passion.
“I remember in high school my senior year, she (Whitener) let me direct a one-act play,” she said of writing and directing the play. “I got to be a lead in her one-act play.”
Whitener said she had Carrasquillo as a student for four years, 2010 through 2013.
“I worked with her in acting, as well as musical theater. I am not shocked by any of this,” she said.
In addition to Carrasquillo, there was a group of other students that also stood out — Ricky Manning, who made it to finals on The Voice and is now a songwriter, and Trevor Schmidt, who is a quite talented singer and dancer.
“This was a special group of kids that really wanted it and really had talent and they weren’t afraid of work,” Whitener said. “It’s the people that want to keep working harder and learning more and getting more experience that tend to keep going.”
Whitener saw Carrasquillo develop her acting during her junior and senior year.
“She was so connected when it came to doing straight plays, non-musical plays. She was really into that,” she said.
Whitener recalls Carrasquillo bringing a light with her when entering a room.
“She was always positive. Walked in with a smile on her face. Very approachable,” she said. “She was a good person to be around. As a director you see those people in your cast who just have that good overall feeling about them. She is humble. She is just a great person.”
Whitener, who taught at North for 32 years, was there when North Fort Myers High School became an art school in 2005. She recalled different students coming through the arts program, students who were on stage before, as community theater started to heat up in the community.
“I cried when I retired because I had the best job in the world. I had a great job and loved every minute of it,” Whitener said.
After graduating from high school, Carrasquillo’s focus became the art of straight acting.
Her mom was basically her manager and biggest supporter during her early acting years.
She remains a huge cheerleader for her daughter.
As with many other actresses, Carrasquillo’s goal is to one day win an Oscar.
“I am not yet where I want to be, but I also am exactly where I need to be right now,” she said. “I know in my heart there will be a finish line one day, and I will look back to see everything I did. This is all the rewarding part I want to marinate in and live in because once I am old, and hopefully accepting an Oscar one day, I can look back and see all the hard work and all the memories it took to get to that point.”
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com